PhotoBizX The Ultimate Wedding and Portrait Photography Business Podcast

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area

Jennifer Tsay of Shoott is the CEO and co-founder of a photography business built around an offer many photographers would struggle to believe could be profitable: free photo sessions with no obligation to buy.

Launched in 2018, Shoott now offers 30-minute sessions across more than 60 US cities. The company has completed over 300,000 sessions, delivered 24 million photographs and worked with more than 2,000 photographers throughout its history.

Clients receive an online gallery and pay only for the photographs they want. The average client spends around US$190, while Shoott photographers typically earn US$140–$160 per photography hour before tips. The business became profitable in its fifth year and has grown into a $10 million-plus photography brand.

Jennifer isn’t a photographer. Her background includes finance, investment banking, documentary film production and acting. Shoott grew from her desire to help talented artists earn a living without giving up the work they love.

In this interview, Jennifer Tsay shares the numbers behind Shoott’s free-session model, how a US$75 credit card hold helped fix a 50% no-show rate, what happened when acquiring a client jumped from $20 to $200, and why the company rejected venture capital rather than compromise photographer pay. She also explains how Shoott recruits and tests photographers, maintains consistency across 60 cities and continues adapting as online lead generation becomes more expensive and unpredictable.

Here’s some more of what we covered in the interview:

If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today to get access to FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue, and ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet. Plus, special member-only interviews.

Everything we do — every small decision you experience — is because we paid for it dearly. – Jennifer Tsay

You’ll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find friendlier, more motivated, caring, and sharing photographers online. Seriously, that’s not all.

The experience you give people and how you make them feel is 90% of how they feel about the photographs. – Jennifer Tsay

Plus, you’ll get access to guidance on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, keep you accountable, and help you build friendships with other pro photographers who share your goal: building a more successful photography business.

After this interview, I’d love to know what you’re taking from what Jennifer shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I’m going to do that! If so, share your thoughts in the comments below, let me know your takeaways, and what you plan to implement in your business based on today’s episode.

If you’re running a consumer-facing business selling something this personal, you’d better know how to listen and make people feel heard. – Jennifer Tsay

If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Jennifer, or a way to thank her for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below.

If we find the wrong client, the photographer loses and we lose. There’s no situation where we win and the photographer doesn’t. Our success is tied to theirs. – Jennifer Tsay

I check for new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it’s always a buzz to get them… for several reasons. First, it confirms I’m on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That’s awesome! Second, iTunes and Google are the biggest podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show.

There’s nothing in life that is totally, totally free. There’s always some sort of cost. – Jennifer Tsay

If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven’t and you’d like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google. You can leave an honest rating and feedback, which will help me and the show. I’ll thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you share your name and website URL. Alternatively, if you’ve left a review for PhotoBizX and want more backlinks to boost your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast. Email me your keywords or phrases and where you’d like me to link them.

If you don’t have a sale, you don’t have anything else. The first thing you need is enough revenue coming in. – Jennifer Tsay

Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn’t need to be fancy; your phone will do. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business.​

Shoott Website

Shoott on Instagram

Shoott on Facebook

Shoott on Tiktok

Shoott on YouTube

Join as a Shoott Photographer

Jennifer Tsay

Jennifer Tsay on Instagram

Jennifer Tsay on LinkedIn

You can care about revenue in the beginning and be willing to take losses because you think you’ll make it up later. Once revenue growth slows, you have to care about the fundamentals. – Jennifer Tsay

Thanks again to Jennifer for joining me on the podcast.

The scale of what she and her team have built is difficult to comprehend — 300,000 free sessions, more than 900 photographers and a profitable $10 million-plus business.

I love how carefully the model has been built so the client, the photographer and the business can all win.

It certainly challenged some assumptions about what a business-minded operator can achieve with photography as the lever. Amazing!

I’d love to know what stood out for you.

People are really emotional about their photographs. You’re not selling them a widget — you’re selling their memories. – Jennifer Tsay

That’s it for me this week; I hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks for listening—speak soon,

The post 692: Jennifer Tsay – How Free Photo Shoots Became a Profitable $10 Million Photography Brand appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area

Kate Buechner of www.uberphotography.com.au is a Sydney family, newborn and pet photographer with more than 23 years in business.

When I last interviewed Kate almost ten years ago, she was photographing around 300 families a year, selling hundreds of wall portraits and working towards building a million-dollar photography business.

She achieved that goal, growing Uber Photography to five full-time staff and more than $1 million in annual turnover.

Today, the business looks completely different.

Kate is the only full-time person in the studio, with her daughter helping about five hours a week.

She works fewer hours, takes home more money, and recently generated $45,000 in a single month.

She aims for around 20 sessions per month, averages about $2,500 from family clients, and still runs seven different marketing sources simultaneously. One partnership with a local orthodontist has lasted ten years and generates around 30–35 bookings annually.

Kate also has some refreshingly direct views about portrait photography. She doesn’t believe photographers need to be incredibly creative to succeed. She believes the photographs are for the family—not the photographer—and that clients will spend when you create images they connect with and want to own.

In this interview, Kate Buechner shares how she went from running a million-dollar studio with five full-time staff to building a smaller, more profitable business she enjoys more.

We unpack the marketing strategies that continue to fill her calendar, why transparent pricing hasn’t hurt her sales, how she averages $2,500 from family sessions and the role AI, automation and same-day sales now play in keeping the business lean and efficient.

Here’s some more of what we covered in the interview:

If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today to get access to FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue, and ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet. Plus, special member-only interviews.

The photography is for the family. It’s not for us, and I think sometimes photographers get confused about that. – Kate Buechner

You’ll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find friendlier, more motivated, caring, and sharing photographers online. Seriously, that’s not all.

If you’re passionate because it’s about your passion for photography, don’t become a professional photographer. You’re creating photos for someone else, not for yourself. – Kate Buechner

Plus, you’ll get access to guidance on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, keep you accountable, and help you build friendships with other pro photographers who share your goal: building a more successful photography business.

After this interview, I’d love to know what you’re taking from what Kate shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I’m going to do that! If so, share your thoughts in the comments below, let me know your takeaways, and what you plan to implement in your business based on today’s episode.

I realised that when I was growing the business, I was giving up the parts of the business that I loved and managing staff who were doing the jobs I actually loved to do. – Kate Buechner

If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Kate, or a way to thank her for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below.

You don’t have to be an incredibly creative photographer. You have to connect with people and make them feel comfortable and relaxed. – Kate Buechner

Want AI to help write your emails, ads and blog posts without spending ages changing everything so it sounds like you?

I went through this training with Ina, and the results were so good! I’d never used Claude before, but I followed along and soon produced marketing copy that sounded like me—using words I’d use and leaving out the ones I wouldn’t.

See what’s included and register for US$97

Join us this Thursday 22 October at 7:00 am AEDT (Sydney time) for approximately 90 minutes of hands-on training.

You’ll receive the files and two short preparation videos to build your business profile and writing voice beforehand. Then you’ll work alongside Ina to set up four projects for social posts, blog posts, emails and enquiry replies, and ads—ready to use with the details of your business and the way you write.

We’ll use Claude for the training, but you can take your business information and voice guidance to ChatGPT, Gemini or your preferred AI tool afterwards.

Register before the live session and receive Ina’s BONUS Sales Call Review skill. Use it with a transcript of an IPS session or Zoom sales conversation to identify what you handled well, missed opportunities and ways to respond to objections next time.

Registration is US$97. After the live training, the price increases to US$197.

Can’t attend live? Register beforehand to get the early price and bonus, with lifetime access to the recording. You can also email Ina with questions afterwards.

Register for US$97—including the bonus and lifetime recording access

I check for new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it’s always a buzz to get them… for several reasons. First, it confirms I’m on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That’s awesome! Second, iTunes and Google are the biggest podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show.

If you want to understand the value of photography, hire a photographer yourself and actually pay for it. It’ll change your perception of what that value is. – Kate Buechner

If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven’t and you’d like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google. You can leave an honest rating and feedback, which will help me and the show. I’ll thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you share your name and website URL. Alternatively, if you’ve left a review for PhotoBizX and want more backlinks to boost your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast. Email me your keywords or phrases and where you’d like me to link them.

Sometimes it’s ten emails or ten SMS messages before you get someone to respond. You need a systemised follow-up so they eventually book. – Kate Buechner

Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn’t need to be fancy; your phone will do. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business.​

Uber Photography Website

Uber Photography on Instagram

Uber Photography on Facebook

IPS Session Website — Use code PBX15 to get a 15% discount on either a monthly or annual membership for one year

Episode 214: Kate Buechner – On Her Way to A Million Dollar Family Portrait Photography Business

Kate & Co. Website

Kate & Co. on Instagram

Kate & Co. on Facebook

Take the Real on Instagram

087: Sue Bryce – How to Make Real Money From Your Photography Business Right Now

021: Brian Chapman – How To Have A Profitable Portrait Photography Business and Happy Clients

685: Ben McCoy – The $17 Lead, $105 Booking and $2,400 Portrait Photography Sale

Most families want a beautiful family photo where they look good, they’re smiling and there’s some form of connection. If you deliver that, they spend money. – Kate Buechner

Thanks again to Kate for joining me.

She reached the million-dollar turnover goal, built a team of five full-time staff and created the bigger business she’d been working towards.

Yet today, with a much smaller operation, she works fewer hours, takes home more money, and spends her time doing the parts of photography she loves.

Which raises an important question for all of us: are you building the business you genuinely want—or simply the one you’ve been told you should want?

I’d love to know what stood out for you.

I’ve got multiple things coming from multiple sources at the same time. I’m making sure I have lots of marketing happening behind the scenes all the time. – Kate Buechner

That’s it for me this week; I hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks for listening—speak soon,

The post 691: Kate Buechner – Why Her $1 Million Photo Studio Was Less Profitable Than Going Solo appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area

Tara Shuler of www.convocontrol.com believes the person asking the questions controls the conversation—and ultimately, the outcome.

She’s a sales trainer, author, and former VP of Sales with more than 20 years of experience studying what makes people buy. Based in Tampa, Florida, she helps business owners move beyond explaining their services and start understanding what their clients actually want.

Her approach centres on questions rather than memorised scripts. The idea is to get prospective clients talking about why the purchase matters to them, instead of relying on you to convince them it should.

For photographers, that raises an uncomfortable question: how much time do we spend explaining packages and defending prices when we still don’t understand why someone wants the photos?

Tara is direct about this. She sees many sales objections as a sign of questions left unasked earlier in the process. When a client says, “We need to think about it”, she challenges whether our easy acceptance helps them—or simply keeps us comfortable.

In this interview, Tara shares how questions can change how photographers handle enquiries, uncover what clients value, and approach hesitant buyers. We work through familiar situations, including free-session leads and a couple facing a $5,000 wall art decision with very different expectations. Some of her suggestions pushed me outside my comfort zone, particularly around how directly we should challenge an objection.

Here’s some more of what we covered in the interview:

If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet. Plus, special member-only interviews.

Most objections are a symptom of you not asking enough questions to understand what they really want. – Tara Shuler

You’ll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find friendlier, more motivated, caring, and sharing photographers online. Seriously, that’s not all.

Once you get the yes, stop talking. Don’t talk about features and benefits anymore. You already got the yes. – Tara Shuler

In addition to everything above, you’ll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, hold you accountable, and help you build friendships with other pro photographers who share your goals—to build a more successful photography business.

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you’re taking anything from what Tara shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I’m going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on today’s episode.

He doesn’t want to spend it because he doesn’t see the value. – Tara Shuler

If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Tara, or a way to thank her for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below.

A lot of people think sales is the gift of gab. But if you’re not asking questions, you’re not in control. – Tara Shuler

Want AI to help write your emails, ads and blog posts without spending ages changing everything so it sounds like you?

I went through this training with Ina, and the results were so good! I’d never used Claude before, but I followed along and soon produced marketing copy that sounded like me—using words I’d use and leaving out the ones I wouldn’t.

See what’s included and register for US$97

Join us on Thursday 22 October at 7:00 am AEDT (Sydney time) for approximately 90 minutes of hands-on training.

You’ll receive the files and two short preparation videos to build your business profile and writing voice beforehand. Then you’ll work alongside Ina to set up four projects for social posts, blog posts, emails and enquiry replies, and ads—ready to use with the details of your business and the way you write.

We’ll use Claude for the training, but you can take your business information and voice guidance to ChatGPT, Gemini or your preferred AI tool afterwards.

Register before the live session and receive Ina’s BONUS Sales Call Review skill. Use it with a transcript of an IPS session or Zoom sales conversation to identify what you handled well, missed opportunities and ways to respond to objections next time.

Registration is US$97. After the live training, the price increases to US$197.

Can’t attend live? Register beforehand to get the early price and bonus, with lifetime access to the recording. You can also email Ina with questions afterwards.

Register for US$97—including the bonus and lifetime recording access

I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it’s always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons. First, it confirms I’m on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That’s awesome! Second, iTunes and Google are the biggest podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show.

If you’ve been dealing with the wife this whole entire time, and you haven’t asked her, does he know what this is costing, you’re being blindsided by this whole situation because you didn’t do your discovery right. – Tara Shuler

If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven’t and you’d like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google. You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help me and the show. I’ll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you share your name and website URL. Alternatively, if you’ve left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast. Email me your keywords or phrases and where you’d like me to link them.

If you have the gut feeling that they’re not going to ever become anything, listen to your gut. – Tara Shuler

Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn’t need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business.​

Convo Control Website

Tara Shuler LinkedIn

Tara Shuler on Facebook

Book a call with Tara Shuler

Convo Control on Instagram

Convo Control on YouTube

Everything is Sales

Questions Close Deals

How to Play Catchphrase

A statement deserves nothing, but a question elicits a response. – Tara Shuler

Thanks to Tara for joining me and pushing me (hopefully you too) out of my comfort zone in this one!

Isn’t it so true how easily we accept “we need to think about it” because asking another question feels uncomfortable. And how an objection at the sales session can start with something we didn’t ask before the shoot.

I’d love to know what stood out for you in this one.

You’ve got to listen three times more than you actually speak. – Tara Shuler

That’s it for me this week; I hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks for listening—speak soon,

The post 690: Tara Shuler – When Mum Wants $5,000 in Photography Wall Art and Dad Wants to Leave appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area

Pipi Diamond of www.soulfulphotographyllc.com has spent 12 years building a pet and family photography business in the San Francisco Bay Area—and now she’s selling it.

She started out photographing dogs on location, including portraits with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background, before creating a boutique backyard studio at home and eventually moving into a commercial space.

Today, the business has three photographers, two assistants, and annual gross revenue of US$139,000. Around a third of her sessions in 2025 came through charity silent auctions.

Pipi chose her business name with a future sale in mind. But preparing to hand it over has brought some surprises. Prospective buyers wanted regular repeat clients, her broker placed more importance on the studio space than she did, and losing her lease saw the asking price fall from US$75,000 to US$50,000.

She’s also frank about why she wants out: the emotional toll of photographing ageing dogs, the ongoing stress of ownership and wanting her weekends back. Hiring photographers has helped, but it hasn’t made the business run itself.

In this interview, Pipi shares what it takes to prepare a photography business for sale, what prospective buyers have questioned, and why the staff, systems and reputation you’ve built matter beyond the images you create. Whether you’re considering selling or haven’t given it a thought, there’s plenty here to make you look at your own business differently.

Here’s some more of what we covered in the interview:

If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet. Plus, special member-only interviews.

My prices are high enough that people feel like it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience, not an every-year update. – Pipi Diamond

You’ll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find friendlier, more motivated, caring, and sharing photographers online. Seriously, that’s not all.

So many photographers name their business after themselves, like Pipi Ray Diamond Photography. Who wants to buy your name? Then they’ll have to change it. – Pipi Diamond

In addition to everything above, you’ll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, hold you accountable, and help you build friendships with other pro photographers who share your goals—to build a more successful photography business.

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you’re taking anything from what Pipi shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I’m going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on today’s episode.

The word turnkey is a little misleading, or maybe a fantasy. Who owns a business and doesn’t do anything? – Pipi Diamond

If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Pipi, or a way to thank her for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below.

What’s a big deal is the trained staff and all the knowledge and training I’d be giving about how to get clients in, service them, get them to pay, and get them out. – Pipi Diamond

I went through this training with Ina, and the results were so good! I’d never used Claude before, but I followed along and soon produced emails, blog posts, and marketing copy that sounded like me—using words I’d use and leaving out the ones I wouldn’t.

You can build the same foundation for your photography business.

Join us on Thursday 22 October at 7:00 am AEDT (Sydney time) for approximately 90 minutes of hands-on training. You’ll build your business profile and writing voice, and Ina will teach you how to use them.

We’ll use Claude during the session, but you can take the information you create to ChatGPT, Gemini or your preferred AI tool afterwards.

Register before the live session, and you’ll also receive Ina’s BONUS Claude Sales Call Review skill. Use it to review your recorded IPS sessions or Zoom sales conversations, with feedback on what you handled well, missed opportunities, and how you could respond to objections next time.

The cost is US$97, doubling to US$197 after the live training.

Can’t attend live? Register beforehand to secure the US$97 price and bonus. You’ll also receive lifetime access to the recording and can email Ina with questions afterwards.

Registration and more details here: https://learn.photobizx.com/make-ai-sound-like-you-registration/

I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it’s always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons. First, it confirms I’m on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That’s awesome! Second, iTunes and Google are the biggest podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show.

A third of my sessions in 2025 were from silent auctions. – Pipi Diamond

If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven’t and you’d like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google. You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help me and the show. I’ll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you share your name and website URL. Alternatively, if you’ve left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast. Email me your keywords or phrases and where you’d like me to link them.

I think I have compassion fatigue from getting a lot of clients that have really old dogs that are really close to being put down, and those kind of sessions are really tough emotionally. – Pipi Diamond

Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn’t need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business.​

Soulful Photography Website

Soulful Photography on Instagram

Soulful Photography on Facebook

SF’s EAST BAY – Turnkey Pet Photography Studio + Listing

Episode 420: Kim Hamblin – How to build a photography business to sell

Episode 322: Bernie Griffiths – The importance of shooting saleable images in your photography business

Indeed – job search site

BizBuySell

Loom – video messaging

I sell it for $50,000, but I’ve got to give her $10,000. I’m really just getting $40,000. – Pipi Diamond

A huge thanks to Pipi for sharing what it’s been like preparing her photography business for sale.

It was interesting to hear how differently buyers see the business—and how hiring three photographers hasn’t taken away the stress of running it.

It makes you think about what someone would actually be buying if you stepped away.

I’d love to know what stood out for you.

I do my sales calls on Zoom and I record the Zoom call, so I have all these Zoom calls that a new buyer could watch to see how you handled this kind of situation, that kind of situation. – Pipi Diamond

That’s it for me this week; I hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks for listening—speak soon,

The post 689: Pipi Diamond – Can You Sell Your Photography Business—or Will You Have to Close It? appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area

Andrew “Ferdi” Ferdinands of www.ferdi.com.au has photographed more than 3,000 events over 17 years. Based in Melbourne, Australia, he’s built a business bringing in around $200,000 a year, photographing everything from birthdays and baptisms to weddings and corporate events.

The business has grown well beyond Ferdi shooting every job himself. He has a pool of more than 30 photographers, and in one busy year, the team covered around 400 events. Their busiest month… 44!

What caught my attention, though, is that Ferdi says 80% of his work comes from referrals and word of mouth, despite almost never asking for them. He believes photographers can get the marketing, pricing and photos right, then lose the next booking because guests felt awkward or the client didn’t enjoy having them there. His approach is people first, camera second.

In this interview, Ferdi shares how he’s built a team around that idea, why he hires for people skills, and what he does before and during an event to understand what the client wants. We also talk about his simple pricing, repeat bookings and the AI tools he’s using to handle a growing workload.

Here’s some more of what we covered in the interview:

If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet. Plus, special member-only interviews.

We’ve never asked for referrals. It’s pure organic. It’s just by being so good that they want you at every party. – Andrew “Ferdi” Ferdinands

You’ll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find friendlier, more motivated, caring, and sharing photographers online. Seriously, that’s not all.

You could do everything perfectly. You could be the best photographer in the world technically. But when you rock up to the gig, how are they going to remember you? – Andrew “Ferdi” Ferdinands

In addition to everything above, you’ll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, hold you accountable, and help you build friendships with other pro photographers who share your goals—to build a more successful photography business.

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you’re taking anything from what Ferdi shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I’m going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on today’s episode.

The people skills are the differentiator. They’re the needle mover. – Andrew “Ferdi” Ferdinands

If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Ferdi, or a way to thank her for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below.

Show the client the photos. Get immediate feedback. Maybe it’s you who needs to change something, and they’ll tell you. – Andrew “Ferdi” Ferdinands

I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it’s always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons. First, it confirms I’m on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That’s awesome! Second, iTunes and Google are the biggest podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show.

You need to become part of their family, their extended family. They need to see you as the go-to photographer for all their milestones. – Andrew “Ferdi” Ferdinands

If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven’t and you’d like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google. You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help me and the show. I’ll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you share your name and website URL. Alternatively, if you’ve left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast. Email me your keywords or phrases and where you’d like me to link them.

A good gauge is that if you don’t get any feedback, you might need to improve something. They can’t be bothered to tell you that you’re doing something wrong. – Andrew “Ferdi” Ferdinands

Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn’t need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business.​

Andrew Ferdinands Website

Ferdi Photography on Facebook

Ferdi Photography on Instagram

Event Photography 101

Event Photography 101 on YouTube

Event Photography App

Ferdi Tech

Ask the client, “How do you define a successful photography service?” and “How do you define a successful photography album?” Those two questions do the heavy lifting. – Andrew “Ferdi” Ferdinands

A huge thanks to Ferdi for joining me and sharing so openly.

The biggest standout… how 80% of his work comes from referrals and word of mouth, yet he says he almost never asks for them. He puts that down to how his photographers make people feel at an event. It’s why he looks for people skills first when hiring.

I’d love to know what stood out for you.

80% of my clients come from referrals and word of mouth. – Andrew “Ferdi” Ferdinands

That’s it for me this week; I hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks for listening—speak soon,

The post 688: Andrew Ferdinands – How To Get 80% of Your Photography Work Through Referrals appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area

Ina Jalil of www.inajphotography.com first appeared on the podcast in episode 475, back in 2022.

At the time, she’d been running her Canberra pet photography business for just two years. Even then, she was generating impressive sales, testing different promotions and running in-person sales appointments while still learning what worked.

What stood out was her willingness to take action. She implemented what she learned, tracked the results and accepted that some ideas would work while others wouldn’t.

Fast-forward four years and she has now photographed more than 1,000 dogs and built a pet photography business generating around $305,000 a year from roughly 80 to 100 sessions. Her average sale has grown from around $600 to $2,600 to $2,800, and she recently raised her session fee to $1,190.

Along the way, she’s become a Sony Digital Imaging Advocate, started mentoring photographers and launched The Pet Photographers’ Journal podcast. She’s also using AI in ways that go well beyond writing social media posts—including reviewing her sales calls, building an objection bank, drafting client emails and creating custom tools for her business.

In this interview, Ina shares how she turned a disappointing $20,000 book project into more than $72,000 from just 26 sessions, generated over $33,000 from a $689 Facebook campaign, and uses pre-shoot consultations to qualify clients, set pricing expectations, and plan what she’ll photograph before the session begins. She also explains why photographers don’t need to continually invent new marketing campaigns—and how she uses AI to improve the systems and conversations already driving her business.

Here’s some more of what we covered in the interview:

If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet. Plus, special member-only interviews.

I don’t have to come up with a new idea every time. I can repeat the same process that works. – Ina Jalil

You’ll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find friendlier, more motivated, caring, and sharing photographers online. Seriously, that’s not all.

My average sale went from $600 to between $2,600 and $2,800 after introducing the pre-shoot consultation. – Ina Jalil

In addition to everything above, you’ll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, hold you accountable, and help you build friendships with other pro photographers who share your goals—to build a more successful photography business.

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you’re taking anything from what Ina shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I’m going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on today’s episode.

My first book project had 48 sessions and made just over $20,000. The second had 26 sessions, 25 clients purchased, and it generated more than $72,000. – Ina Jalil

If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Ina, or a way to thank her for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below.

I don’t want someone who only wants to be featured in a book. I want someone who wants beautiful artwork of their dog, with being featured in the book as a bonus. – Ina Jalil

I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it’s always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons. First, it confirms I’m on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That’s awesome! Second, iTunes and Google are the biggest podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show.

When the same objections keep coming up, I look at how I can address them earlier through my website, social media or email sequences. – Ina Jalil

If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven’t and you’d like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google. You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help me and the show. I’ll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you share your name and website URL. Alternatively, if you’ve left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast. Email me your keywords or phrases and where you’d like me to link them.

I use AI to review my consultations, help me improve my sales skills and build an objection bank from the questions clients ask. – Ina Jalil

Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn’t need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business.​

Here is the latest review…

★★★★★ Thank you from the bottom of my heart

Via Google Reviews by New Zealand documentary wedding photographer Sarah Watkins in New Zealand on September 18th, 2026.

I’m so grateful to Andrew for him and his podcast. I started listening over 10 years ago.

He takes a personal interest in each and every one of his listeners.

He always has inspiring and insightful guests who are comfortable sharing all about their businesses.

I literally wouldn’t be able to support my wee family without what I’ve learnt over the years from the podcast.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Ina Jalil Website

Ina Jalil Booking Gap

Ina Jalil Photography on Instagram

Ina Jalil The Pet Photo CEO on Instagram

Ina Jalil on Facebook

Episode 475: Ina Jalil – How to easily increase your portrait photography sales consistently

Fathom – meeting assistant AI

Krisp – AI noise cancellation and note taker

VoiceDash – speech-to-text AI

Wispr Flow – voice-to-text AI

Vibecode – AI app builder

Vercel – cloud platform

I want people who are serious about investing in their artwork. That’s my project, so I’m going to set the boundaries. – Ina Jalil

A huge thanks to Ina for sharing so openly.

What stood out to me was the turnaround between her two book projects—from 48 sessions and just over $20,000 in sales to more than $72,000 from only 26 sessions.

I also loved how she’s using AI to review her sales calls, identify missed opportunities and build an objection bank — a smart and practical use of AI in a photography business.

I’d love to know what stood out for you.

I experiment in my business, track the numbers and then change something if it doesn’t work. – Ina Jalil

That’s it for me this week; I hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks for listening—speak soon,

The post 687: Ina Jalil – The Pre-Shoot Consultation That Raised Her Average Sale from $600 to $2,800 appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area

Megan Jones of www.meganmichaelphotography.com has been in business for 16 years and has grown her Nebraska-based photography studio from $610,000 in revenue in 2023 to being on track for $3.5 million in 2026.

Today, she has a team of 13 employees, three full-time photographers and a 5,000-square-foot studio capable of handling up to 14 sessions a day.

Megan describes the business as a luxury volume studio — high-end photography and product sales on the client side, with a highly systemised operation running behind the scenes.

Boudoir makes up around 80% of the business, but I was particularly interested in one part for this interview.

Santa photography.

And we’re definitely not talking about your typical $150 Christmas mini session with a handful of digital files.

Megan photographs around 175 Santa clients a year and averages roughly $2,000 per session. Her personalised Christmas storybook package is $4,200; clients are told upfront they could spend anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000, and the sessions themselves last just 25 minutes.

What makes it even more interesting is that Megan refuses to call them mini sessions.

They’re limited-edition experiences — complete with purpose-built sets, personalised letters from Santa, a carefully scripted session and products designed to become part of the family’s Christmas tradition.

Which raises some interesting questions…

How do you turn something commonly sold as a cheap seasonal session into a premium photography experience?

What are clients actually buying when they’re spending thousands of dollars on Santa photography?

And what can portrait photographers take from Megan’s approach to pricing, scarcity, sales and client experience and apply to their own businesses?

In this interview, Megan Jones shares how she progressed from $200 sessions to building a $3.5 million luxury photography business, why she eventually replaced herself as the photographer, and how her team now generates and handles hundreds of leads each week. We get into the thinking behind her limited-edition campaigns, the psychology she uses around sales and pricing, why she believes scripted sales sessions don’t work, and the details that have helped turn her Santa photography into one of the most unusual and profitable seasonal portrait offerings I’ve come across.

Here’s some more of what we covered in the interview:

If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet. Plus, special member-only interviews.

I work a hell of a lot less hard now than I did then, and I’m making way more money. – Megan Jones

You’ll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find friendlier, more motivated, caring, and sharing photographers online. Seriously, that’s not all.

Sales is people. There’s a lot of psychology that goes into figuring out what people are thinking, overcoming objections and figuring out what’s important to them. – Megan Jones

In addition to everything above, you’ll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, hold you accountable, and help you build friendships with other pro photographers who share your goals—to build a more successful photography business.

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you’re taking anything from what Megan shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I’m going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on today’s episode.

Behind the scenes, we’re a machine. We’re a luxury studio, but in all reality, we’re a luxury volume studio. – Megan Jones

If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Megan, or a way to thank her for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below.

Scripted sales sessions are stupid, in my opinion. There should be no script in the sales room because not every person is the same. – Megan Jones

I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it’s always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons. First, it confirms I’m on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That’s awesome! Second, iTunes and Google are the biggest podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show.

If something is not my expertise, I outsource it. – Megan Jones

If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven’t and you’d like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google. You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help me and the show. I’ll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you share your name and website URL. Alternatively, if you’ve left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast. Email me your keywords or phrases and where you’d like me to link them.

Nobody just books a shoot to book a shoot. They’re coming in for a reason. – Megan Jones

Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn’t need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business.​

Megan Jones Website

Megan Jones Santa Sessions

Megan Jones Email

Megan Jones on Facebook

You have to know your products, and it’s not just the amount of revenue coming in. It’s profit margin too. – Megan Jones

A huge thanks to Megan for sharing so openly.

What stood out to me was the scale of the business — tracking toward $3.5 million — but also what she’s done with Santa photography. Around 175 sessions a year, roughly a $2,000 average sale, and clients buying $4,200 personalised Christmas storybooks.

It’s a very different way of thinking about what could easily be treated as a cheap mini session.

I’d love to know what stood out for you.

We failed really, really fast in the last couple of years to be able to figure out what worked. – Megan Jones

That’s it for me this week; I hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks for listening—speak soon,

The post 686: Megan Jones – How 25-Minute Santa Sessions Became a $300K+ Photography Business appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area

Ben McCoy of www.withthebenjamin.com.au started his photography career by ringing wedding photographers he found in newspaper ads and asking if he could tag along and carry their bags.

He was knocked back again and again before one photographer finally gave him a chance.

That eventually led to photographing 40 or 50 weddings a year and learning the business from the ground up.

Fast-forward to today and Ben has built something very different.

He started Good Life Portraits from the back of his car in 2016 and has grown it into a busy Perth portrait studio with seven full-time staff, including photographers and an in-house booking team.

The studio is now tracking towards $2 million in annual revenue, has photographed more than 5,000 sessions and is shooting somewhere around 80 portrait sessions a month.

And the numbers behind the marketing are just as interesting.

Ben aims for roughly $17 per lead, around $105 to acquire a client and an average sale of about $2,400.

He’s also built much of the business around systems — from lead generation and booking through to client nurture, sales and production — and over the past year has added AI and Go High Level to handle more of that process automatically.

What I found particularly interesting is that despite the scale of the business, Ben still believes the human conversation is one of the most important parts of converting a lead into a client.

In this interview, Ben McCoy shares how he built a high-volume portrait studio without remaining the bottleneck, why he believes the people handling bookings can be more important than the photographers, how he uses Meta ads, AI and automated nurture to move leads towards a phone call, and what has changed as he’s gone from doing almost everything himself to running a team and a business approaching $2 million in revenue.

Here’s some more of what we covered in the interview:

If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet. Plus, special member-only interviews.

The goal is to get them on the phone. – Ben McCoy

You’ll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find friendlier, more motivated, caring, and sharing photographers online. Seriously, that’s not all.

AI has been a game changer because it’s available for when the client is ready, not for when we’re ready. – Ben McCoy

In addition to everything above, you’ll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, hold you accountable, and help you build friendships with other pro photographers who share your goals—to build a more successful photography business.

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you’re taking anything from what Ben shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I’m going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on today’s episode.

Cheap leads aren’t always good leads. I was getting $5 or $6 leads, but they were low quality and not many people were booking. – Ben McCoy

If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Ben, or a way to thank her for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below.

$17 a lead is about $105 to land the client, and our average sale is around $2,400. – Ben McCoy

I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it’s always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons. First, it confirms I’m on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That’s awesome! Second, iTunes and Google are the biggest podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show.

My job as a business owner is to make employees so happy that they don’t want to leave. – Ben McCoy

If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven’t and you’d like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google. You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help me and the show. I’ll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you share your name and website URL. Alternatively, if you’ve left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast. Email me your keywords or phrases and where you’d like me to link them.

I was the bottleneck for years. I knew I had to figure out a way so the business could actually run without me — and not just run, but grow. – Ben McCoy

Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn’t need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business.​

Ben McCoy Website

Ben McCoy on Instagram

Ben McCoy on Facebook

Good Life Portraits Website

Good Life Portraits on Instagram

Good Life Portraits on Facebook

When I focused solely on numbers, every person that came in the door became a number. I realised I was focusing on what I could get out of them instead of what I could create for them. – Ben McCoy

A huge thanks to Ben for sharing so openly.

What really stood out to me was the scale of what he’s built—around 80 sessions a month and tracking toward $2 million a year—but also how much of that comes back to systems and getting himself out of the way.

I also loved hearing how he’s now using AI to do more of the nurturing and follow-up, while keeping the human conversation as an important part of getting clients booked.

I’d love to know what stood out for you.

If you’re fully booked, you’ve capped your income and your potential growth. The only way to grow then is to have someone else shoot for you. – Ben McCoy

That’s it for me this week; I hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks for listening—speak soon,

The post 685: Ben McCoy – The $17 Lead, $105 Booking and $2,400 Portrait Photography Sale appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area

Lucas Z of www.thebigsplitwithlucas.com was running a successful photography business in Aspen, Colorado, making good money and, from the outside, doing pretty well.

But financially, things were a mess.

He had $25,000 in credit card debt, was behind on his taxes, had no real savings or assets and eventually worked out that he was spending 99.5% of everything he made.

The interesting part is, his answer wasn’t simply to go out and book more clients or make more money.

He realised the bigger problem was what happened to the money once it actually came in.

That led him to develop what he now calls The Big Split — a simple way of handling irregular income by dividing money between the business, tax, lifestyle and paying yourself first.

Using that approach, Lucas cleared his $25,000 debt in five months, got on top of his back taxes and built more than $60,000 in savings within the first year.

And he’s not coming at this as a traditional financial adviser.

He’s spent more than a decade running his own photography business, so he understands what it’s like to deal with seasonal income, inconsistent payments, good months, quiet months and the temptation to treat a $5,000 or $10,000 client payment like it’s all available to spend.

In this interview, Lucas Z shares how photographers can create more stability from irregular income, why earning more doesn’t automatically mean keeping more, how financial leaks can quietly drain an otherwise successful business, and why paying yourself first may matter more than another budgeting app. We also look at where The Big Split differs from Profit First, how Lucas decides what percentage goes where, and the point where money management stops being the problem and the business simply isn’t generating enough income.

Here’s some more of what we covered in the interview:

How Lucas was spending 99.5% of everything his photography business made despite earning good money

How he cleared $25,000 in debt within five months and built more than $60,000 in savings in his first year

What Lucas does when a $5,000 or $10,000 client payment lands instead of treating it all as available cash

How The Big Split divides irregular income between business, tax, lifestyle and paying yourself first

Why Lucas still uses a simple 25/25/25/25 split after seven years — and when he changes those percentages

Why irregular and seasonal income creates a feast-or-famine cycle even for profitable photographers

How building separate financial stockpiles helped Lucas stay stable when his photography income stopped during COVID

The financial leaks photographers often overlook, including poor payment policies, delayed invoices, weak contracts and chasing clients for money

Why making it easier for clients to pay can have a bigger financial impact than photographers realise

Why Lucas believes photographers should pay themselves first, even if they start with only a small percentage

Why cutting every enjoyable expense isn’t necessarily the answer — and how Lucas decides what spending is actually worth keeping

How one client earning around $300,000 a year discovered they needed only about $70,000 to live, then cleared six figures of debt and saved six figures within 12 months

Why a photography business making only $40,000 can still be financially healthy if the gap between income and expenses is large enough

How to recognise when the real problem is no longer money management — the photography business simply isn’t generating enough income

If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet. Plus, special member-only interviews.

If you don’t pay yourself first, you’re not going to pay yourself. That’s just how it works. – Lucas Z.

You’ll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find friendlier, more motivated, caring, and sharing photographers online. Seriously, that’s not all.

When that $10,000 comes in, I was lying to myself. I didn’t have $10,000 because I was forgetting about the bills in the business, the taxes and putting something towards savings. – Lucas Z.

In addition to everything above, you’ll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, hold you accountable, and help you build friendships with other pro photographers who share your goals—to build a more successful photography business.

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you’re taking anything from what Lucas shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I’m going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on today’s episode.

You can shift your finances fairly quickly. Start looking at money from your creative brain, not the traditional brain. You’ve built a business. You’ve already done the hard work. – Lucas Z.

If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Lucas, or a way to thank her for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below.

The reason most successful business owners who are making good money never have any money is because they’re putting themselves last. – Lucas Z.

I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it’s always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons. First, it confirms I’m on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That’s awesome! Second, iTunes and Google are the biggest podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show.

We spend our entire lives giving our money away to everyone else, and guess who is holding the bag at the end of the day? Us. – Lucas Z.

If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven’t and you’d like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google. You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help me and the show. I’ll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you share your name and website URL. Alternatively, if you’ve left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast. Email me your keywords or phrases and where you’d like me to link them.

Instead of stealing from my business so that I could live more extravagantly, I created a barrier. I will not steal from my business. I will not steal from my savings. – Lucas Z.

Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn’t need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business.​

The Big Split With Lucas Website

The Big Split With Lucas on YouTube

The Big Split With Lucas on Instagram

I like to keep things very simple with money. The simpler it is, the more likely I am to actually follow through with it. – Lucas Z.

A huge thanks to Lucas for sharing so openly.

What really stood out to me was that making more money isn’t always the answer. Lucas ran a successful photography business, yet spent 99.5% of what he made and had $25,000 in debt.

And I love the simplicity of his idea — when the money comes in, give it a job before you get the chance to spend it.

I’d love to know what stood out for you.

It’s not about how much you make; it’s about the difference between how much you spend and how much you make. – Lucas Z.

That’s it for me this week; I hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks for listening—speak soon,

The post 684: Lucas Z – Why Photographers Making Good Money Still Have No Money appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area

Gabi Kline Leon of www.gavriellaphoto.com was living in Israel when she saw a photographer in the USA share that they’d made $62,000 in a single month.

Her reaction was basically, if photographers can make that kind of money in America, I’m moving to America.

So she did.

Two and a half months later, she was on her way to Florida with her 14-year-old daughter, very little money and a plan to build a full-time pet photography business.

Her very first client spent $5,000!

That didn’t mean everything took off immediately. COVID hit soon after, and Gabi says it took around three years before she really felt like she had a solid business.

What she built during that time was very different to a typical high-volume photography business.

Gabi describes herself as a commissioned photo artist rather than simply a photographer. Her booking fee is $1,500; clients are told that most spend between $3,000 and $10,000, and her average sale is around $6,000.

She visits clients in their homes, sometimes photographs the same client across multiple sessions, helps design artwork for their walls and keeps her pricing deliberately simple.

She has also tested some unusual marketing ideas along the way.

One magazine partnership generated more than $100,000. Mini-session days inside a groomer’s business brought in more than $10,000 a month. And she has strong views on where pet photographers should focus their attention online, especially around SEO, Google Business Profile, reviews, and fresh content.

And then there are the sales.

Gabi regularly talks about $7,000, $10,000 and larger client orders, including one extraordinary $50,000 sale from a client she photographed across four sessions.

In this interview, Gabi shares how she built a low-volume, high-value photography business, why she believes positioning yourself as a commissioned photo artist changes the way clients see what you do, how she approaches pricing and in-home sales without feeling salesy, and why simple offers, real relationships and getting in front of the right people have mattered more to her than chasing every new marketing tactic.

Here’s some more of what we covered in the interview:

If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet. Plus, special member-only interviews.

You cannot think that you will attract people who spend $50 on dresses to spend thousands of dollars on a designer. Totally different clients. So you have to understand who your client is, and you have to put yourself in front of them. – Gabi Kline Leon

You’ll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find friendlier, more motivated, caring, and sharing photographers online. Seriously, that’s not all.

Yes, it is an investment, but don’t put it as an investment in photos. Put it as an investment in interior design. People have a very different thought when they’re thinking about how much money they’re going to spend on interior design in their home. – Gabi Kline Leon

In addition to everything above, you’ll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, hold you accountable, and help you build friendships with other pro photographers who share your goals—to build a more successful photography business.

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you’re taking anything from what Gabi shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I’m going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on today’s episode.

There are two totally different types of businesses. One is being a photographer. One is being what I call a commissioned photo artist, which is a totally different business. – Gabi Kline Leon

If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Gabi, or a way to thank her for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below.

The more you’re out there, the more you meet people, the more you’ll have private clients. Period. That’s just the way it works. – Gabi Kline Leon

I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it’s always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons. First, it confirms I’m on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That’s awesome! Second, iTunes and Google are the biggest podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show.

If they book me, they will spend an average of $6,000. It’s already embedded in me. It’s not, Oh, I wish they will, or nobody pays. I don’t have any of that. – Gabi Kline Leon

If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven’t and you’d like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google. You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help me and the show. I’ll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you share your name and website URL. Alternatively, if you’ve left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast. Email me your keywords or phrases and where you’d like me to link them.

A confused mind doesn’t buy. Everything has to be very simple. – Gabi Kline Leon

Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn’t need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business.​

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If you don’t sell something, it’s because you don’t have it inside your brain that it’s something important for you to give to your client, or you’re feeling that you’re pushing too much. – Gabi Kline Leon

A huge thanks to Gabi for sharing so openly.

What really stood out to me was how she thinks about being a commissioned photo artist rather than simply a photographer—and how that shift flows through everything from her pricing to the client experience and those $6,000-plus average sales.

I also loved how simple she keeps the business. Simple pricing, simple choices, but a very high-touch experience.

I’d love to know what stood out for you.

What you should remember is they wanted you. They liked your work. That’s why they called you. So when somebody says no, don’t think, I’m too expensive, I have to lower my prices. – Gabi Kline Leon

That’s it for me this week; I hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks for listening—speak soon,

The post 683: Gabi Kline Leon – How to Build a Photography Business Averaging $6,000 Per Client appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.